The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-01-06

! cral were coaXed into taking the fog
Tor this ''oncc n year" AS the clo@l
struck -, they joined hands in wild,
circle and sang, "Auld Lang Sync," or
! quite as often, "Pnisc God from Whom
all Blessings Flow" They were moi
ashamed to nnmc Him to whom al
praise belongs in those brave, simple
daYS-that are no more! One more sci
tho Virginia reel, danced on Christ.
mas night i'll the Mother Country to this
time, under the namc of Sir Roger dc
Coverlcy-and the wassal bowl Of egg.
nog vas brought i'll. A toast to the
health and happiness of present and ab-
sent friends was drunk, and the girls
betook themselves to the choery, crowd.
cd chambers overhead, leaving the men
to smoke and talk politics about the
drawing room hearth.
Before sunrise every sleeper on the
plantation was aroused by tho deafenine
boom of the "Christmas gun" A heavy
blast OF gunpowder was rammed into q
hollow tree and fired at day break. De,
donations Of lesser force followed, from
logs riddled with auger-holos and stuffed
with powder, gums, pistols, and pop
crackers, while the outcries of
"Chris mas-gif my marstcr." ""Chris mas
halls, rivaled the "bakshcesh'' yells of
the Bcdowin
Nobody in that region and time said
"NIorry Christmas, but always Christ
mas Gift" The strife as to Who should
get it out first was, with children and
servants, claim upon the libcrality Of
the latter speaker. What was undoubt-
cdly the primal significance of tho greet
ing was solemn and Notwithstanding
less than proclamation of the unspeaka-
bic Gift heraldcd by the angels anthem
above the plains of Bethlehem.
TIE HOLIDAY MENU.
breakfast was not over until 10 O clock,
d!nncr was served at 2 or 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. Neither soup nor fish was
regarded as an essential to the feast.
RonSt turkey ut the head of the table was
balanced by boiled turkey with oyster
sauce at th& foot. Roast goose, midway
between the two, mingled fragrant steam
With rising incense of roast duck on the
other side Of the castor; chicken, lamb,
roast beef and "shOat perhaps Il suck
ing pig baked who!c-and the inevitable
Dollcd ham, were separated by rcgeta-
blcS, pickles, catSupS and sauces Family
silver reflected the sunshine Of happy
| faces; cut-!5lasS as old answered in sill
very chimes the t"lcIul clamor of young
voices.
! The cOurtly fashion Of taking wine to-
. Gcthcr lent individual interest TO thc
rcrci. The Tbanc host was ever ON the.
lookout for opportunities to send the
Nccautcr along, with Miss A., MIR. B.
asks the pleasure Of taking class of
wine with you" Then the graceful lift
ing OF glasses, the exchange OF bows
across the hoard, the complimentary
pu!asc from one, the smile OF acknowi-
cdgmcnt tom the othcr-it is all old
fashioned now, but it was far prcttier
than the customs that have driven them
out.
'JMdlcS and gcntlcmcn!" called out
dear old Major \. from the head of the
table III the llOOd-tidC of the Christmas
! Wn$Sall, 81 crave leave to offer tOastr'
His plantation sklrtcd the AppomnttoX
/ lIv"r, which lies between Powhatan and
Amelia counties. At his right sat his
tnV"nt1 nHIghbOr, Powhutan t., who
WAS betrOthcd to Amelia c., IL Florida
belle, not present to-day.
~ toast" repeated the host, rising,
mantlnB t'mblcr i'll hand, his eyes
drumming with fun and fondncsS. 81
| give you-~The Appomattox! May it
cease to flow, that powhatan and Amclia
may be forever unitcd.'
IllE OLD DAYS BEFORE THE WAR.
! All. that WAS the sort of thing thew
I dld III the old Virginia days, before war
laId their pleasant places waste. People
| watched for chances to turn phrases
handsomely, studied the capabilities of
language to give pleasure to their
auditors. Elegant conversation was q
! popular accomplishment Now, it is
subsidiary to dancing, murdered by
| Irritation.
| ! have spoken Of Christmas week. To
limit Tn" festival to Il single day would
have been rcckonCd q manning of their
chief social rite From one manor-houso
to another rolled the gladstone party,
taricylng by appointment day at this,
a night at that, talking, dancing, driv--
ing, walking, singing -making-in
such lnnoccncy of delight as is possible
TO none but the young. Now and then
thcy danced Virginia lccls, quadrillcs
and coliilons lalso ont Of fashion row.
on the bare 0akcn floor of barn-likc
! parlol, furnished withuncuShioncdc chairs
and thn-Ic8Scd tables; us the wide,
rambling house in which they oncampcd
! Tor nights trOlic was unpaintcd, win
| dowS and doors had shrunk from the
cASm9S, and the blaze OF the Hulc log
| Haired III drafts pouring in from all quar-
tcrs. Sometimes their progress was
made IN rusty Hhackling cl.nri0ts, lurch-
ing heavily through red mud two feet
! deep, and over corduroy roads that
would have shaken old bones from their
sockets. Over all and above all, thew
| earned the brave, gay spirit that Lluphs